In recent days, I've been feeding my cat, Sylvia, from my hand or sometimes using a plastic knife or spoon to put food in her mouth. While doing that this morning, I sang a folk song that I first heard at sixth grade camp--the David Mallett-penned "Garden Song (Inch By Inch.)" There are many versions of it, but Pete Seeger sang the one most familiar to me.
I'm not surprised that my brain drew a parallel between "Garden Song"'s lyrics and my new feeding routine with Sylvia. In both cases, there are no shortcuts; when you plant a garden or feed an ailing cat, you need patience and perseverance to achieve the best results.
Feeding my cat two or three pieces of food at a time? That's not a burden to me. That's prolonging the life of the best pet I could ever have chosen.
I'm about to try feeding her again. One, two, three, four..."Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow..."
